Four-handled jar with floral scrolls

Large jars with sgraffito decoration over dark glazes have been identified as the products of Shanxi and Ningxia, manufactured since the eleventh century. This piece displays four loop ears and a ridged lower portion absent from other known Song-Yuan pieces of this type, elements which are, therefore, probably later developments. The sgraffito technique and the biscuit quality of this piece place it firmly within the Shanxi tradition.